Door-holder.



H. P. SPAIN.

DOOR HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1913.

1,107,124, Patented Aug. 11, 19M

2 SHEETBSHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETA": LU., PHOTO-LIT HO. WASHINGTON. D.

H. P. SPAIN.

DOOR HOLDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1913.

1 1'07, 1 24:. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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THE NORRIS PETERS ca. PHOTO L/THO., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DOOR-HOLDER. i 1 i 1 1 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application filed November 11, 1913. Serial No. 800,289.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY P. SPAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Draketown, in the county of Haralson and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Door- Holders, of which the following is a specification.

The subject-matter of the present invention is directed to new and useful improvements in door holders or stops, and aims as its principal object to provide a device of this character which may be employed in holding the door against swinging movement in closed position, completely opened position or at any point intermediate the two positions named.

A further object resides in the provision of a door holder or stop which will accomplish the above functions, and is so con structed that it may be applied to the door casing at the upper portion thereof so that the retaining mechanism may be readily manipulated from a point adjacent the door knob and does not require, as does an ordinary stop, that some device be engaged and disengaged with the floor.

A yet further object is the provision of a door stop or retaining mechanism which consists essentially in a semi-circular plate which is suspended from the door casing at a point above the upper terminal of the door and is provided with a series of spaced apertures which are engageable by a springpressed locking rod carried by the door, the rod being equipped with means whereby it may be held in inoperative position to permit the door to be freely opened and closed except when it is desired to hold the door in a partially or completely opened position.

A yet further object is to construct the retaining plate which, as above set forth, is engageable by a spring-pressed rod, in such manner that it will impart an ornamental appearance to the door casing instead of marring the artistic design of a finely constructed door, as do many door stops now in use.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, description in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this application.

With reference to the drawings, wherein there has been illustrated the preferred embodiment of this invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts, F igure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the door in partially opened position with the spring-pressed rod in engagement with the fixed retaining plate; Fig. 2 is a top plan View illustrating the retaining plate in detail; Fig; 3 is a vertical section taken through the door casing and disclosing the door opened to a position at right angles to the plane of the door casing; Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view illustrating particularly the spring-pressed locking rod, the cover which houses this rod and its spring,

being removed to more clearly illustrate the interior arrangement of parts; and Fig. 5 is a top plan view illustrating a modified form of the retaining plate. This modification shows the form of retaining plate which is employed in case the door is built in the corner of a room.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the preferred-embodiment of this invention includes, as above set forth, a retaining plate which is mounted at the upper end of the door casing and a spring-pressed retaining rod which is carried by the door and is engageable with the retaining plate. The retaining plate, which is best illustrated in Fig. 2, may be formed from sheet metal ofany type, although if so desired a relatively light wooden platform may be used in place of metal. This retaining rod, to be hereinafter designated as an entirety by the numeral 10, is substantially rectangular in shape and is provided with a number of spaced apertures 11 which are arranged in a semi-circle and are formed a slight distance inwardly from the curved edge of the plate 10. These apertures 11 are designed to receive a retaining rod which is carried by the door and will be hereinafter more fully described. The straight edge portion of the plate 10 is provided with upwardly extending apertured wings 12 through which plates, rivets, screws or other suitable fastening devices 13 are inserted so that the wings may be properly secured to the door casing in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1.

In order to insurethe secure mounting of the plate and to guard against accidental displacement, there have been provided three brace rods, indicated at 14. These rods are preferably formed of relatively heavy steel wire, and are flattened and apertured at their terminals so that they may be secured at their outer ends to the plate 10 and at their inner ends to the door casing, as indicated respectively at and 16. It is preferable that the brace rods 14 be radially directed with their inner terminals secured as at 16 at the approximate center of the straight edge of the plate. A number of relatively large openings 17 are formed in the plate so that the device will be as light as possible.

In order to impart an ornamental appearance to the plate 10, it has been provided with a shield or rim 18 which is substantially semi-circular in shape and is fitted against the curved edge of the plate 10. This shield 18 is scalloped or carved in any suitable design, and is held in the proper position by attaching brackets 19 which are 3 preferably L-shaped and are apertured to receive rlvets 20, as will be readily observed upon reference to Fig. 2.

The spring-pressed retaining plate or look ing rod which is employed in holding the door in the desired adjusted position is best illustrated in Fig. 4, and reference will therefore now be had particularly to this figure. The retaining rod, designated in Fig. 4 by the numeral 21, is formed from a steel rod of relatively light weight. This rod is bent at one terminal to produce a right angular extension 22, the free terminal of which extension is formed with an eyelet 23. The rod 21 is mounted for sliding movement in a metallic tube 24 which is terminally secured in vertical position on the door by means of brackets 25 and 26. The upper bracket 25 is apertured to receive a hook 27 which is formed on the upper end of a helical spring 28. This helical spring 28 is also equipped at its lower terminal with a hook member 24, which is adapted to be inserted in the apertured terminal of a link member 30. The link member 30 is formed from a metal strap which is bent at its middle portion to encircle the right angular extension 22 of the rod 21, and is then longitudinally twisted to an arc of 45, as will be apparent upon reference to Fig. 4. It will be noted that the spring 28, being of the retractive type,will tend to hold the upper terminal 31 of the rod 21 in extended position above the upper edge of the door so that it may extend into one of the apertures 11 of the plate 10 to hold the door against swinging movement in the manner illustrated particularly in Fig. 3. It is, therefore, necessary to provide some means for overcoming the action of the spring 28 and normally holding the rod 21 with its upper terminal 31 flush with the upper edge of the door so that the door may be freely opened and closed except when it is desired to lock it against swinging move ment. With this object in view, there has been provided a latch member 32 which is formed from a single length of wire. This .wire is bent intermediate its length to produce a long arm 33 and a short arm 34, the terminals of whlch are embedded in the door, as illustrated in Fig. 4. The latch finger 35 which is produced by the bending of the wire 32 is spaced away from the face of the door so that the eyelet 23 may be engaged with the finger. Obviously, the rod 21 will be held with its upper terminal flush with the upper edge of the door against the tension of the spring 28 when the eyelet 23 has been engaged with the finger 35. \Vhen 1t is desired to release the rod so that it may slide upwardly into one of the apertures 11 of the plate 10, it is only necessary to pull down upon. the eyelet 22-3 to disengage it from the finger 35 and to swing it outamrdly to such distance as will permit the spring 28 to pull the rod 21 upwardly with engaging the eyelet with the finger 85.

Realizing that the spring 28, tube 2.1-, and. brackets 25 and 26 would, if exposed to view, present an unsightly appearance, I have provided a cover plate or shield 36. This mem ber 36 is formed from any ordinary sheet metal, and is preferably channel-shaped in cross section, being provided at its longitudinal edges with apertured flanges 37 and '38 which, as illustrated in Fig. 1, receive screws, whereby the cover may be held in the proper position on the door. The lower terminal of the cover plate 36 carries a reduced extension 39 which serves to partially conceal the link member 30 and lower terminal of the rod 21. The extreme lower terminal of the extension 39 is bent inwardly at right angles to produce a shoulder 40 which engages against the lower face of a lug 41 formed on a plate 42, which is secured to the door. It has, of course. been necessary to provide this extension 39 instead of continuing the cover plate downwardly for were the cover plate continued downwardly to such a point that it would conceal the llnk 30 and lower terminal of the rod 21, it

would be impossible to swing the eyelet 23 in the manner necessary to disengage it from the latch finger 35. In this connection, 1t 15 to be noted that the upward movement of the rod 21 is limited by the engagement of the extension 22 with the lower terminal of the cover plate 36. The above noted. feature will be readily observed upon reference to Fig. 1.

If the door to which the present invention is applied is built in a corner, it will, of course, be impossible to employ a semi-circular retaining plate, and there has, therefore, been illustrated as a part of this in- .vention a retaining plate which is quadrantal in shape. This modified form of retaining plate is illustrated in Fig. 5, and needs no further description inasmuch as it is substantially similar to the retaining plate 10 of the preferred form of the invention exthat it is quadrantal so that it may be applied to a corner of a room.

In reduction to practice, it has been found that the form of this invention illustrated in the drawings, and referred to in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most eflicient and practical; yet realizing that the conditions concurrent with the adoption of this device will necessarily vary, it is desired to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a door, of a holding mechanism including a retaining plate mounted above the door and having a semi-circular series of apertures, a locking rod slidably mounted on the door and engageable in the apertures for normally holding the door in adjusted position, a spring for urging the rod upwardly into engagement with the retaining plate, said rod having its lower terminal extending at right angles to its major portion, an eyelet formed terminally of the extension, and a keeper member carried by the door and adapted to be engaged by the eyelet of the extension whereby the rod may be held in inoperative position against the tension of the spring.

2. The combination with a door, of a holding device including a retaining plate having a plurality of spaced apertures, a locking rod slidably mounted on the door and engageable in the apertures for holding the door in adjusted position, a tube secured to the door and receiving the rod for guiding it in its sliding movement, a housing for the tube, a spring arranged in the housing and operatively connected to the rod, said spring acting to urge the rod upwardly into engagement with the retaining plate, a right angular extension formed on the lower terminal of the rod, an eyelet formed terminally of the extension, and a rigid keeper member mounted on the dOOr and adapted to be engaged by the eyelet whereby the rod may be held in inoperative position of disengagement with the retaining plate against the tension of the spring.

3. The combination with a door, of a holding device including a retaining plate having a series of spaced apertures, a slidably mounted locking rod carried by the door, a spring for normally holding the rod in engagement with the retaining plate, a right angular extension formed on the lower terminal of the rod, an eyelet formed terminally of the extension, a keeper member adapted to be engaged by the eyelet for holding the upper terminal of the rod spaced from the retaining plate against the tension of the spring, a housing inclosing the rod and the spring, and an extension formed on the lower terminal of the housing for covering the extreme lower terminal of the rod.

4:. The combination with a door, of a holding device including a retaining plate having a plurality of spaced apertures, a locking rod slidably mounted on the door and engageable in the apertures, a channelshaped housing carried by the door and incasing the major portion of the rod, yieldable means arranged in the housing and operatively connected to the rod for normally holding the rod in engagement with the retaining plate, a reduced extension formed on the lower terminal of the housing, a right angular extension formed on the lower terminal of the rod, said extension being engageable with the lower terminal of the housing for limiting the upward movement of the rod, and a keeper member mounted on the door and engageable by the extension of the rod, whereby the rod may be held in inoperative position against the tension of the spring.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

HENRY P. SPAIN. [L.S.] Witnesses:

J. C. EZZELL, J. M. Nonwoon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

